Tainan Overview

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 台南市
• Location: Located in the southwest of Taiwan Province
• Area: 2192 square kilometers
• Population: 1.88 million
• Language: Mandarin, Southern Fujian Dialect, etc.
• Minorities: Hakka, Taiwan's aborigines, Siraya， etc.

Geography

Located in the southwest of Taiwan Island, Tainan is the core of Chianan Plain (嘉南平原). The central and western regions are alluvial plains. The terrain slopes gently and some rivers and streams running across it. There are hills on the east side, belonging to the end of the Alishan Mountains (阿里山山脉), with some hills and mountains. The highest peak is the great frozen mountain (大冻山, 1,241 meters). On the west side is the Taiwan Strait, which has a coastline of more than 40 kilometers. In the past, there have been lagoons in the coastal areas, but now, most of them have been turned into land.

Administrative Divisions

Nowadays, there are 37 districts in Tainan City. Due to the large number of existing administrative districts, the municipal government has embarked on a consolidation plan. More about Tainan Administrative Divisions.

• 37 Districts: Central and Western District (中西区), East District (东区), South District (南区), North District (北区), Anping District (安平区), Annan District (安南区), Yongkang District (永康区), Guiren District (归仁区), Xinhua District (新化区), Zuozhen District (左镇区), Yujing District (玉井区), Nanxi District (楠西区), Nanhua District (南化区), Rende District (仁德区), Guanmiao District (关庙区), Longqi District (龙崎区), Guantian District (官田区), Madou District (麻豆区), Jiali District (佳里区), Xigang District (西港区), Qigu District (七股区), Jiangjun District (将军区), Xuejia District (学甲区), Beimen District (北门区), Xinying Distirct (新营区), Houbi District (后壁区), Baihe District (白河区),Dongshan District  (东山区), Liujia District (六甲区), Xiaying District (下营区), Liuying District (柳营区), Yanshui District (盐水区), Shanhua District(善化区), Danei District (大内区), Shanshang District (山上区), Xinshi District (新市区), Anding District (安定区)

Climate

Tainan is south of the Tropic of Cancer. Like most of Taiwan, it has a subtropical climate, but Tainan borders on a tropical wet-dry sub-climate. Affected by the monsoon and terrain, the dry and wet seasons are distinct. Summer is a typhoon period, so the rainfall is concentrated in summer. The south is dry in winter when water vapor is insufficient. The annual average temperature is 23.8 °C, temperatures in January and February can sometimes dip down below 10°C for a few days. July is the hottest month during the year, the average temperature is about 29.0°C. The annual sunshine hours are 2421.3 hours, ranking the highest of the island. More about Tainan Climate.

Things to Do

As the oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan is possesses with plenty of famous historical tourist attractions that are registered at the national level. According to this list from the Tainan government website, there are eight first class, eight second class, and thirty-seven third class national historic sites inside the city limits. Here are some sites you can’t miss.

First, Tainan Confucian Temple is a good place for you to visit. Meanwhile, Grand Matsu Temple, Temple of the Five Concubines and Fort Zeelandia are also popular among tourists.Meanwhile, there are massive activities in Tainan. Matsu culture festival started in the early hours of March 25. People can watch fireflies at Meiling from April 20 to May. If the weather is hot, Sicao Wetland Reserve is a great place to go. More about Tainan Attractions.

History & Culture

Before the 17th century, Tainan City was the living area of the Taiwan's indigenous Silaya people. Since the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company made Tainan has been the capital of the island for more than 200 years during the Dutch, Ming and Qing dynasties. After the Japanese occupation period, urban development was affected due to the silting of Anping Port due to siltation. In 2010, Tainan City and County were merged into municipalities under the jurisdiction of the former province. Now, it is one of the five municipalities directly under the Central Government of the Republic of China.

Tainan City is known as the ancient capital of culture. A large number of ancient Han people and cultural relics are scattered throughout the city. Tainan City has a number of unique local folklore techniques and cultural activities. Due to the transformation of society and various changes in lifestyles, the folk culture has gradually declined and disappeared. Today, Tainan people hold the Temple Celebrations in the spring and autumn. More about Tainan culture.

Transportation

Tainan is one of significant traffic tubs and regional logistics centers in Taiwan. It can be available by air, train, high-speed railway and coach to get to other cities, such as Taipei and Kaohsiung. It’s easy to find Tainan Airport, Tainan High Speed Railway Station and Tainan Railway Station. However, the current overseas flights only have Hong Kong-Tainan, Wuhan-Tainan routes. People could arrive at Kaohsiung International Airport which is relatively close from Tainan, then by trains or high-speed trains to reach Tainan. More about Tainan Transportation.

Tourism

Tainan is located in the southwest of Taiwan Province. As the earliest developed city in Taiwan, it has a history of over hundred year. In recent years, Tainan has developed diversified tourism, which can be divided into cultural journeys, food tours, and nature tours. There are more than 500 Buddhist and Taoist temples in the city. Many of them are the oldest and most important in Taiwan. According to this list from the Tainan government website, there are eight first-level, eight second-level, and thirty-seven third-level national historic sites inside the city. The main attractions are: Anping Fort, Fort Provintia (赤嵌楼), Grand Matsu Temple (大天后宫), Confucius Temple and so on.

Economy

The industry in Tainan City is mainly secondary industry and tertiary industry. The Metropolitan area has more than 60% of the service industry population, and the proportion of the whole city is more than 50%. Since the 1990s, because of the continuous development of the Southern Science Industrial Park and the technological industrial zones such as Tainan, Shugu, Liuying and Yongkang have become the important centers of high-tech manufacturing. It has also become a town with electronics, electrical machinery and other high-tech manufacturing.

Festivals

Tainan is known as the “Cultural Ancient Capital”. There are 7 first-class monuments, 7 second-class monuments, and 36 third-class monuments in the city. There are numerous characteristic festivals and activities left in this an ancient place. Such as Tianhou Cultural Festival (Mazu Culture Festival), visiting famous Temples, Yanshui Bee cannon Festival (盐水蜂炮), Xigang Sacrifice Festival and Zheng Chenggong Culture Festival. More about Tainan Festivals and Activies.

Dining

Tainan is a diverse city with religion, history, fantastic scenery and beautiful cuisine. The city is also known as Fucheng, which is naturally rich in food and has a wide variety of cuisines. Since the store has been pursuing genuine products and making it with heart, local people have developed a new dish based on the preservation of the traditional taste. Tainan's culinary history and cultural prosperity have given rise to a thriving catering industry, which has convinced us that every small facade contains fascinating food. More about Tainan Dining

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